Employer’s Health and Safety Responsibilities

Employers have responsibilities for the health and safety of their employees. They are also responsible for any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public. Find out more about your employer's duty of care.

Risk Assessments

Your employer has a 'duty of care' to ensure, as far as possible, your health, safety and welfare while you are at work. They should start with a risk assessment to spot possible health and safety hazards. They have to appoint a 'competent person' with health and safety responsibilities (usually one of the owners in smaller firms, or a member of staff trained in health and safety) for businesses employing five or more people. For businesses employing five or more people, there must also be:

an official record of what the assessment finds (your employer has to put plans in place to deal with the risks)

a formal health and safety policy, including arrangements to protect your health and safety (you should be told what these

All employers, whatever the size of the business, must:

make the workplace safe

prevent risks to health

ensure that plant and machinery is safe to use, and that safe working practices are set up a followed

make sure that all materials are handled, stored and used safely

provide adequate first aid facilities

tell you about any potential hazards from the work you do, chemicals and other substances used by the firm, and give you information, instructions, training and supervision as needed

set up emergency plans

make sure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, and toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirements

check that the right work equipment is provided and is properly used and regularly maintained

prevent or control exposure to substances that may damage your health

take precautions against the risks caused by flammable or explosive hazards, electrical equipment, noise and radiation

avoid potentially dangerous work involving manual handling and if it can't be avoided, take precautions to reduce the risk of injury

provide health supervision as needed

provide protective clothing or equipment free of charge if risks can't be removed or adequately controlled by any other meansensure that the right warning signs are provided and looked after

report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to either the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the local authority, depending on the type of business

Making the workplace safe and healthy

So that the work premises provide a safe and healthy place to work, your employer should:

make sure that workplaces are properly ventilated, with clean and fresh air

keep temperatures at a comfortable level - a minimum of 13 degrees C where the work involves physical activity or 16 degrees C for 'sedentary' workplaces eg offices but there's no maximum limit

light premises so that employees can work and move about safely

keep the workplace and equipment clean

ensure that workrooms are big enough to allow easy movement with at least 11 cubic metres per person

provide workstations to suit the employees and the work

keep the workplace and equipment in good working order

make floors, walkways, stairs, roadways etc safe to use

protect people from falling from height or into dangerous substances

store things so they are unlikely to fall and cause injuries

fit openable windows, doors and gates with safety devices if needed

provide suitable washing facilities and clean drinking water

if necessary, provide somewhere for employees to get changed and to store their own clothes

set aside areas for rest breaks and to eat meals, including suitable facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers

make sure that employees who work alone, or off-site, can do so safely and healthily

What to do next

You also have responsibilities for your own health and safety at work. You can refuse to do something that isn't safe without being threatened with disciplinary action.

If you think your employer isn't meeting their responsibilities, talk to them first. Your safety representative or a trade union official may be able to help you with this. As a last resort, you may need to report your employer to the Health and Safety Executive or to the environmental health department of your local authority.

If you are dismissed for refusing to undertake an unsafe working practice, you may have a right to claim unfair dismissal at an Employment Tribunal.